The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

%^0 LETTERS, TRACTS, iffc,aJl tills muft be to a great mind, how vexatious to bethus affrighted, and to be in perpetual fright •, howrnifufferable to be abufed by a low perfon, before anaflembly of low and contemptible people; you certainlymufl fee the wifdom of withdrawing, and fecurlngourfelves from fuch infolent and ignoble ufage.We conduct ourfelves like philofophers, and are determinedto follow nature, vivere fecundam naturam.We are men of genius; the king has fmgled us outfrom among all the learned men in Scotland, to beregents and profeflbrs ; and from the eminence onwhich we ftand, we perfedlly difcern the littlenefeand folly of the vulgar.Spiritum Grai^ tenuem Camoena:,Parca non ruenda dedit, et malignumSpernere vulgus.As we move in the regions of philofophy, we wantto have elbow-room : We gain our money as we can,and choofe to fpend it as we pleafe ; we choofe toenjoy that freedom, and partake of thofe pleafureswhich nature offers, and philofophy allows. In thisphilofophic temper we mean no harm, but good toevery man ; no hurt, but pleafure to any woman. Ifphilofophy hath not yet made us quite perfect, wehave however but few and very flender faults ; medi'ocribus et quels ignofcas vitiis : And if we now and thenmake fome flight deviations from the dull routine oflife, muft v/e be judged, be difciplined, be penancedas the vileft of the people are ? This is a treatmentnot to be borne, not to be fubmitted to by free minds.No nobleman, no gentleman of rank or fortune in thecountry, no wealthy merchant in the city, who happensto be a delinquent, though he fhould be in fiftyrelapfes, is ever called to any account, even in pariflieswhere the minifters are the ftridleft and moflzealous in Scotland. And muft we be hunted downfor one or two flight offences, while others are freelypermitted to range about at large ? If our clergy had